Skies don’t dampen Oak Street Expo at Spirit of Shrewsbury Festival

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown greets Cub Scout leader Jeff Jolicoeur after dunking him during a campaign stop at the Oak Street Expo in Shrewsbury yesterday.

Despite overcast skies, there was a large turnout at Oak Middle School yesterday for the Oak Street Expo, part of this year’s Spirit of Shrewsbury Festival. In its 16th year, the festivities drew hundreds of people — families, crafts sellers, food vendors, Boy Scout troops, cheerleading squads and U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass.

Mr. Brown made a surprise campaign stop at the expo, spending about an hour signing autographs, posing for photos and visiting the various booths. He was accompanied by two Shrewsbury police officers and a slew of campaign staffers and supporters, waving flags and sporting campaign merchandise, as he made his way through the crowds.

“I think Shrewsbury is very supportive of Scott Brown,” said Shrewsbury resident Dan Nedelescu, after posing for a photo with the senator. “You just have to drive around.”

During his stop, Mr. Brown entered a candy raffle at the Knights of Columbus Adelphi Council booth and threw softballs at a target, successfully dunking a pirate-costumed Cub Scout leader in the dunk tank.

“We were hoping he was able to stop by and the campaign schedule worked in our favor,” said Republican State Committeewoman and Shrewsbury Planning Board member Mindy J. McKenzie-Hebert.

Also in attendance was state Rep. Matt Beaton, R-Shrewsbury, who said he was happy that the rain held off.

“It seems like the last couple of years we’ve been fighting the weather, but it doesn’t seem to slow anybody down,” he said. “It’s a great event for the community. It was great that the senator was able to come out and join us today.”

The atmosphere was celebratory for much of the day as visitors ignored the clouds, splitting time among the cotton candy truck, face-painting stands, the bouncy houses and some of the hundred-plus booths, which included those of political campaigns, local businesses, town organizations and charity groups.

One booth belonged to Katie’s Lemonade Stand, a charity group founded in 2009 by Mike and Amy Randell of Grafton after their daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2. The stand, which sells lemonade and snacks, raises money to fight cancer. This year, all the proceeds will go to the University of Massachusetts Pediatric Oncology Clinic.

“She went through two and a half years of treatment,” said Mr. Randell, who was dressed in full clown attire for the festival. “We’ve done this for four years in a row. We’ve decided to give to other charities that helped us through her two and a half years.”

A sign for the Cub Scout Pack 146, based out of St. Anne’s Church, hung at a booth nearby. Pack Leader Lois Horton of Shrewsbury was caged into the dunk tank, wearing a dripping wet pink wig and goading passers-by into purchasing a ticket and warming up their throwing arms.

“We decided to do this back in June or July when it was hot and it seemed like such a great idea,” she joked. This year was the pack’s third at the expo, but first with a dunk tank. So would they use a dunk tank again?

“I’m certainly up for it,” she said, before repeating the question to a young boy in a Scout uniform who expressed no doubt that the tank was a hit. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

In the Oak Middle School gymnasium was a craft fair, where about 75 local artisans were selling homemade clothing, art, quilts, jewelry and other wares. Visitors trickled in throughout the day, but most of the excitement was going on outside.

Jan Slaughter of Grafton was selling quilts. It’s a business she said her mother started 20 years ago, making the rounds at craft fairs and selling whatever she had made.

Ms. Slaughter said that traffic through the fair was a bit slow, possibly due to the wealth of activities outdoors.

“Here it’s a whole big festival,” she said, noting that at other craft fairs people are more interested in buying. “People here wander in almost by accident.”

Missing from this year’s festival are the evening events, such as the Scarecrow on the Common contest and the jack-o’-lantern display. The outdoor evening events were canceled this year due to the continued presence of Eastern equine encephalitis.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Selectman John I. Lebeaux, adding that the festival organizers made the decision themselves. “Nobody wants to see themselves in a position where an (event) attendee comes down with it. We still think people need to make their own decisions about how they should proceed.”

Between that and the poor weather and the show-stealing stop by Mr. Brown it would be easy to forget what the festival is all about.

“(We’re here) to celebrate Shrewsbury,” said Shrewsbury Public Library Director Ellen Dolan, who stood at the library’s booth under the large main tent. “It’s a great town to be in, working and living. We’re thrilled to be here.”